WTF (West Bend, Wisconsin, Edition)

[snurri]

Four members of a library board in West Bend, Wis., were dismissed last week for refusing to remove controversial books from the library's young adult section.

Three guesses what "controversial" means in this context.

For some reason I know a bunch of people from West Bend. None of them live there anymore. I WONDER WHY.

Comments

[kylecassidy.livejournal.com]

i smell a storm brewing. the winds are strong. the phones are ringing in west bend....

[readingthedark.livejournal.com]

Wow. One is a middle-of-the-road guide to teen girls' health that must have a passage about lesbianism or masturbation, one is often required summer reading for students in Massachusetts, and I remember hearing about Geography Club but I forget why. I just wrote a little rant in my f-list about this, but what freaks me out is how freedom of speech, by it's very nature, only applies to books a person hates. You want to ban it? You can't. It's freedom of speech. I want to ban it? I can't. It's freedom of speech. Even the most repressive regimes in history have been in favor of speech they liked. How come I live in a world where Ferlinghetti won this one once and for all and other people don't? How come whenever I hear something that offends me to the core, I think, "Awesome. Celine Dion isn't my bag, but I think people have the right to listen to her..."

[czakbar.livejournal.com]

According to their demographics, they're not the most non-caucasian friendly place to live either.

But really, there are a gazillion towns like this one in existence. I'm never surprised when shit like this happens. What surprises me is everyone else's surprise. But I'm a cynic at this juncture, waiting to be returned to wonder. :)

[10yroldwhizkid.livejournal.com]

“affirming traditional heterosexual perspectives.” daaaaaaaaaaaamn.

Also I think every single person in my 8th grade class read Perks of Being a Wallflower. We had mandatory reading time in junior high and I'd see that green cover every week with someone new. THE SWINE FLU OF BOOKS, WIDESPREAD AND DEADLY.

[jamiam.livejournal.com]

There are plenty of books affirming the heterosexual agenda all over the damn library! GAAAaaaaaaah.

[ellen-denham.livejournal.com]

I imagine one could sum up their basic argument as this: if our kids don't know that homosexuality exists, they will all grow up just as straight and narrow as us! Besides, homosexuality is catching. One gay couple moves in, and there goes everybody's marriage.

[le-trombone.livejournal.com]

Three guesses what "controversial" means in this context.

I win!

[haddayr.livejournal.com]

I didn't click on the link OR read the comments and I know it's because of gay stuff.

the world is still flat here.

[(Anonymous)]

Hi folks,

There are a lot of us on the ground here trying to dissolve this nonsense -- all caused by a handful of zealots angered to discover that Copernicus had it right.

Thank you so much for your support! Drop by... it's like watching professional wrestling--except it's real.

Okay, realer.

hiho
Mpeterson


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